This invention relates to an open network tracking and routing system which implements a multi-purpose card.
The entertainment/amusement industry has made several attempts to accommodate its guests or clientele. These efforts have led to the development of a closed network proprietary card system where a guest may register for a magnetic stripe card or a smart card and obtain a variety of goods and services with the card. For example, the closed network system may allow a guest to carry a single card to: (1) gain admission to amusement park(s)/casino(s); (2) gain entry to his or her hotel room; and (3) purchase food/clothing/gift items at a variety of stores on the issuer""s property.
There are generally two types of proprietary cards used in this setting. The first type of card is the magnetic stripe card. The magnetic stripe card operates by encoding information on magnetic tape similar to how a computer writes information onto a floppy disk. This type of card uses a one way authentication method. The card passes its information to a data input device which may be a point of service terminal. The point of service terminal may verify that the requisite information exists either at the point of service terminal or at a database off-site. The second type of proprietary card is a smart card. Smart cards are rarely implemented in the United States due to the reliable communications systems in this country. Rather, smart cards are generally more prevalent in foreign countries where information must be processed at the point of service terminal. The smart card differs from the magnetic stripe card in that it is an integrated circuit card or a plastic card with a small microcomputer xe2x80x9cchipxe2x80x9d embedded in it. The microcomputer embedded in the card may be programmed to function as an xe2x80x9celectronic purse.xe2x80x9d The electronic purse may be loaded with a value where the value is stored until it is used as payment for goods or services at retailers or service outlets.
Generally, the closed network system of the prior art requires the guest to have his or her credit card authorized up to a certain amount so that the value may be transferred to the proprietary card. The card issuer (i.e. Amusement Park, Casino/Hotel, Airline, Department Store, etc.) then adds value to the proprietary card periodically throughout the guest""s stay by obtaining authorization for additional amounts. The guest therefore is required to own a credit card in order to use the closed network system. Also, under the present system, the card issuer does not implement any means of monitoring the guest""s spending habits for purposes of future marketing.
As described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,327, smart cards of the closed network system have a shape similar to plastic bankcards but with silicon chips and software embedded into the card package. The card may be capable of identifying the rightful cardholder and guarantee the eligibility of that particular visitor to receive the appropriate services and/or products that are stored into the guest card. By implementing the cards as pocket-sized computers, visitors"" cards are allowed to operate within a stand alone system, fully integrated system environments, or both as well as proprietary, incompatible system platforms. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,118, issued to Reid et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,327 issued to Sehr; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,863, issued to William et al., disclose systems which implement smart cards that facilitate payment transactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,327, issued Oct. 15, 1996 to Richard Sehr, describes a computerized theme park information management system which is employed in a closed network environment. The invention disclosed in the ""327 patent is intended to provide the guest with a multi-service card which monitors admission to the game park and analyzes the guest""s buying behavior by employing smart card technology. However, unlike the present invention, the invention described in the ""327 patent is intended for use in a closed network system. There is no direct access to the user""s financial institution using the smart card enabling the user to make purchases with the smart card as if it were a debit or ACH card in addition to a room key, admission card, tracking card, etc. Therefore, a user of the Sehr card does not have direct access to his or her checking account, and therefore, must carry a debit card or checkbook in addition to the smart card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,312, issued Sep. 24, 1996 to James Lucero (xe2x80x9cLuceroxe2x80x9d), discloses a gaming machine system operable with a general purpose charge card. The invention disclosed in the ""312 patent allows players to obtain playing credit with a general purpose charge card which updates an individual""s account for wins, losses and draws from games of chance played at one or more machines or at tables at one or more casinos.
However, unlike the present invention, the prior art for gaming systems is limited to an environment where the card""s implementation is limited to tracking games played at machines or tables and is not usable to gain entry into one""s room or to pay for goods and services at retail establishments. Nor do the prior art systems collect data that can be used in predicting the consumer""s buying patterns. Furthermore, the prior art systems do not allow users to directly access their checking accounts in the proprietary setting.
Consequently, a need has developed for a system which allows guests the flexibility to access their bank accounts for obtaining a variety of goods and services in a proprietary setting such as an amusement resort, casino, department store, or airline purchasing environment in which the guest""s spending habits are also tracked for purposes of future marketing.
The present invention includes an open network system in cooperation with a multi-service card (xe2x80x9cmulti-purpose cardxe2x80x9d) that provides a variety of services. The services include any combination of the following, but are not limited to: (1) controlling access to one""s room; (2) guest tracking/point accumulation and redemption for the issuing casino hotel or resort; (3) a debit card to pay for purchases within and outside the hotel/casino restaurants and shops; (4) purchasing gaming chips; (5) obtaining cash at a casino cashier or hotel desk; (6) accessing a variety of theme parks and restaurants; and (7) purchasing airline tickets, accumulating points for airline tickets, and redeeming points for airline tickets. Furthermore, the information gathered from the use of the multi-purpose card may be manipulated to better understand the buying trends of the individual user.
Information gathered by the multi-purpose card may be used in targeted marketing of goods and services to individuals, thereby obviating the high cost of mass mailings of varied goods and services to a non-targeted consumer population. The invention also gives the carrier of the multi-purpose card greater freedom to travel lightly. Instead of guests carrying keys, checkbooks, pocketbooks, debit cards, player tracking/point accumulation cards and redemption cards from the issuing casino/hotel or resort, a single card in the form of the magnetic stripe card or smart card replaces all the items listed thereby allowing for lighter, carefree movement. In addition, the multi-purpose card improves security since the holder of the card is the only person able to use the card. Further, it significantly decreases incidences of lost pocketbooks or keys that all too often are misplaced or forgotten as one moves between gaming areas or other establishments.
The invention accomplishes this by having a transaction processing system that is able to store a significant volume of transactions, accumulate and process transactional customer information for card verification as well as customer profiles for targeted marketing campaigns. This invention may also utilize existing hotel processes that separately issue keys or player tracking cards and assimilate all these functions with the addition of a debit card facility on a single card.
The present invention is beneficial in that it accumulates data from a plurality of sources, manipulates this data into a form that is useful for targeted marketing campaigns and increases safety in that users of the multi-purpose card are not carrying cash or credit cards which may be subject to theft or fraud.
Thus, this invention provides a novel means for enabling patrons at hotels or casinos to gain access to their rooms, accumulate points and/or track behavior, point redemption, obtaining cash, obtaining chips at a gaming table and making purchases at various shops and restaurants using a single multi-purpose card. The cardholder has the added convenience of having an accurate summation of his charges on his bank statement (similar to a check or debit or credit card transaction). The card issuer (casino/hotel, resort, airline) has the ability to more selectively target consumers based on preferences garnered through use of the multi-purpose card. The benefits of knowing where consumers are spending their dollars have enormous potential to marketers of goods and services as well as to economists.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide the card holder with a single card that can replace a player tracking/point card, a checkbook, a room key and cash. In short, it can substitute for a wallet, pocketbook or multiple cards.
Another object of this invention is to provide a better means of identifying and tracking consumption habits of the card holder in order to achieve a more effective allocation of advertising dollars.
Still another object of the invention is to prevent unauthorized access to rooms by having a security means that identifies authorized card holders. Further, the card also provides a means by which authorized card holders are verified so as to prevent fraudulent purchases.
Another object of this invention is to allow a consumer to directly access his or her checking account for purchases and debit transactions in a proprietary environment.
Another object of this invention is to provide guests at resorts or casinos with a single card that functions as a player tracking/point accumulation and redemption card for the issuing casino/hotel or resort, allows the holder access to his room, allows him to obtain cash from casino cashiers and hotel desks, allows him to purchase goods and service at a variety of vendors inside and outside the resort, and allows the companies servicing these clients and other companies interested in servicing these clients to obtain specific information about the holder""s buying habits in order to better market products to a targeted audience.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide an information management system for operation in a proprietary environment implementing a multi-purpose debit card held by a designated individual. The information management system includes a multi-purpose card, a data input device, at least one database, a host, and a transaction processor. The card is coded to identify the rightful cardholder and to identify the services the card holder is entitled to receive. The data input device receives transactional information from the merchant/service-provider and the card. The database records transactional information, verifies transactional information and then forwards the transactional information to the transaction processor. The transaction processor may handle either Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions or debit transactions. Once transaction processor receives the information, the transaction processor may authorize the debit or ACH transactions occurring within the proprietary environment. The transaction processor then communicates with the host and at least one financial institution through a network.